Kitabı oku: «The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 08», sayfa 7
[282]
Hedysarum Obscurum. Creeping-Rooted Hedysarum
Class and Order
Diadelphia Decandria
Generic Character
Cor. carina transverse obtusa. Legumen articulis 1-spermis.
Specific Character and Synonyms
HEDYSARUM obscurum foliis pinnatis, stipulis vaginalibus, caule erecto flexuoso, floribus pendulis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 676. Mant. 447. Jacq. Fl. Austr. v. 2. t. 168.
HEDYSARUM caule recto, ramoso; foliis ovatis; siliquis pendulis, lævissimis, venosis. Hall. Hist. Helv. n. 395.
ONOBRYCHIS semine clypeato lævi. Bauh. Pin. 350.
No282.
Prof. Jacquin, in the second volume of the Flora austriaca, gives an excellent figure and accurate description of our plant, a native of the Alps of Germany and Switzerland, and points out the characters in which it differs from the alpinum, for which it has sometimes been mistaken.
It is a hardy perennial, rarely exceeding a foot in height, produces its spikes of pendulous flowers, which are of a most beautiful purple colour, in July and August; hitherto these have not been succeeded by seed-vessels with us; though we have cultivated the plant for several years.
Its size renders it a suitable plant for rock-work, on which it will grow readily, increasing by its roots, which are of the creeping kind.
Haller mentions a variety of it with white flowers.
[283]
Mimulus Ringens. Narrow-Leaved Monkey-Flower
Class and Order
Didynamia Angiospermia
Generic Character
Cal. 4-dentatus, prismaticus. Cor. ringens; labio superiore lateribus replicato. Caps. 2-locularis, polysperma.
Specific Character and Synonyms
MIMULUS ringens erectus, foliis oblongis linearibus sessilibus. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 575. Ait. Kew. v. 2. p. 361.
EUPHRASIA floridana lysimachiæ glabræ siliquosæ foliis, quadrato caule ramosior. Pluk. Amalth. 83. t. 393. f. 3.
LYSIMACHIA galericulata s. Gratiola elatior non ramosa, &c. Gron. Fl. Virg. p. 97.
DIGITALIS perfoliata glabra flore violaceo minore. Moris. Hist. 2. p. 479. s. 5. t. 8. f. 6.
No283.
Clayton, in the Fl. Virg. published by Gronovius, describes this plant as a native of Virginia, and says of it, "maddidis gaudet locis," it delights in wet places: Linnæus makes it a native of Canada also.
It is a hardy, perennial, herbaceous plant, growing with us to the height of about two feet, and producing its flowers, which are of a pale violet colour, in July and August; these are frequently succeeded by capsules containing perfect seeds, by which the plant may be propagated, as also by parting its roots in Autumn; Miller recommends the seeds to be sown as soon as ripe.
The plant succeeds best in a moist and somewhat shady situation, with a loamy soil.
A perusal of the synonyms will shew to what a variety of genera this plant has been referred by different authors; Linnæus first gave to it the name of Mimulus, of which term we find in his Philosophia Botanica the following concise explanation:—"Mimulus mimus personatus;" in plain English, a masked mimick: Mimmulus is a classical word for the Pedicularis, or Lousewort; the English term Monkey flower has probably been given it, from an idea that mimulus originated from μιμω a monkey, as in mimusops monkey face.
[284]
Rosa Semperflorens. Ever-Blowing Rose
Class and Order
Icosandria Polygynia
Generic Character
Petala 5. Cal. urceolatus, 5-fidus, carnosus, collo coarctatus, demum baccatus, coloratus. Antrum duplicatum, 1-loculare, superne apertum, pericarpiis osseis intus nidulantibus.
Specific Character
ROSA semperflorens caule aculeato, foliis subternis, pedunculis subunifloris aculeato-hispidis, calycis laciniis integris.
No284.
We are induced to consider the rose here represented, as one of the most desirable plants in point of ornament ever introduced to this country; its flowers, large in proportion to the plant, are semi-double, and with great richness of colour unite a most delightful fragrance; they blossom during the whole of the year, more sparingly indeed in the winter months; the shrub itself is more hardy than most greenhouse plants, and will grow in so small a compass of earth, that it may be reared almost in a coffee cup; is kept with the least possible trouble, and propagated without difficulty by cuttings or suckers.
For this invaluable acquisition, our country is indebted to the late Gilbert Slater, Esq. of Knots-Green, near Laytonstone, whose untimely death every person must deplore, who is a friend to improvements in ornamental gardening: in procuring the rarer plants from abroad, more particularly from the East-Indies, Mr. Slater was indefatigable, nor was he less anxious to have them in the greatest perfection this country will admit; to gain this point there was no contrivance that ingenuity could suggest, no labour, no expence withheld; such exertions must soon have insured him the first collection of the plants of India: it is now about three years since he obtained this rose from China; as he readily imparted his most valuable acquisitions to those who were most likely to increase them, this plant soon became conspicuous in the collections of the principal Nurserymen near town, and in the course of a few years will, no doubt, decorate the window of every amateur.
The largest plants we have seen have not exceeded three feet, it may no doubt be trained to a much greater height; a variety of it much more robust, having usually several flowers on a footstalk, of a pale red colour, and semi-double also, has more lately been introduced, and as far as we can learn from the same source.
[285]
Jasminum Odoratissimum. Sweetest Jasmine
Class and Order
Diandria Monogynia
Generic Character
Corolla hypocrateriformis. Bacca dicocca. Semina solitaria, arillata.
Specific Character and Synonyms
JASMINUM odoratissimum foliis alternis obtusiusculis ternatis pinnatisque, ramis teretibus, laciniis calycinis brevissimis. Ait. Hort. H. v. 1. p. 10. Linn. Syst. Veget. ed. 14. Murr. p. 56.
JASMINUM flavum odoratum. Barr. Ic. 62.
No285.
The flowers of most of the species of Jasmine are odoriferous, trivial names therefore expressive of this quality are ineligible, as wanting character; the present name is peculiarly objectionable, inasmuch as several other species are greatly superior to this in point of fragrance; a lesson for Botanists to abstain from trivial names of the superlative degree, such as odoratissimum, fœtidissimum, maximum, minimum, &c.
The present species, according to Mr. Aiton, is a native of Madeira, and was cultivated by Mr. Miller, in 1730; it is now a plant common in most greenhouses: it will form a shrub of considerable size, which requires no support; its leaves are glossy, inclining to yellow, growing for the most part three together, sometimes pinnated; its blossoms, which are yellow, make their appearance from May to November: in point of hardiness it is superior to many greenhouse plants, and may be propagated without difficulty by cuttings.
[286]
Portlandia Grandiflora. Great-Flowered Portlandia
Class and Order
Pentandria Monogynia
Generic Character
Cor. clavato-infundibuliformis. Antheræ 4-6. longitudinales. Caps. 5-gona, 2-valvis, retusa, 2-locularis, polysperma, coronata calyce 5-phyllo.
Specific Character and Synonyms
PORTLANDIA grandiflora floribus pentandris. Linn. Syst. Veg. ed. 14. Murr. p. 213. Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 228. foliis ovatis. Syst. Nat. ed. 13. Gmel. p. 360.
PORTLANDIA grandiflora floribus pentandris, capsulis ovatis, foliis oblongis acuminatis. Swartz. Obs. Bot. p. 69.
No286.
Dr. Brown, in his Natural History of Jamaica, gives to this genus the name of Portlandia, in honour of the Duchess Dowager of Portland, who employed many of the leisure hours of a long and happy life, in the pursuits of natural history, in which she was eminently skilled.—She was the friend and patron of Mr. Lightfoot, who dedicates to her his Flora Scotica; the fine collection of rare and valuable trees and shrubs which enrich part of the grounds at Bulstrode, were of her planting.
Dr. Swartz, in his Observations on the Plants of the West-Indies, informs us, that this species grows wild in Jamaica, where (incolit calcareosa petrosa) it inhabits calcareous rocky places3, forms a small tree about the height of six feet, and flowers from the middle of Summer to Autumn; its bark, he observes, as in other plants of the same genus, is extremely bitter.
From Mr. Aiton we learn, that it was introduced here by – Ellis, Esq. in 1775.
It forms a very beautiful stove plant, not of difficult growth, and readily disposed to flower; we have seen blowing plants of it little more than a foot high; its blossoms are not only uncommonly large, shewy, and curious in their structure, but fragrant also, and very much so when dried.
It is usually increased by cuttings.
[287]
Goodenia Lævigata. Smooth Goodenia
Class and Order
Pentandria Monogynia
Generic Character
Flores monopetali, superi. Caps. bilocularis. Cor. supra longitudinaliter fissa, stigma urceolatum ciliatum. Smith Trans. Linn. Soc. v. 2. p. 346.
Specific Character
GOODENIA lævigata foliis obovato-lanceolatis dentatis glabris.
No287.
In the Autumn of 1792, Samuel Tolfrey Esq. most kindly invited me to inspect a vast number of the natural productions of Botany-Bay, in his possession; collected with great assiduity, and brought over in high preservation by Captain Tench; among other curiosities, he shewed me specimens of the earths of that country, imported in very small bags. I suggested to Mr. Tolfrey, that those earths might possibly contain the seeds of some curious and unknown plants; he readily acquiesced in the idea, and permitted me to make trial of them: accordingly, in the Spring of 1793, I exposed them in shallow pans, on a gentle tan heat, keeping them duly watered; in the course of the Summer they yielded me fourteen plants, most of which were altogether new, and among others the species of Goodenia here figured; this we have since found to be a hardy greenhouse plant, flowering from July to October, and very readily increased by cuttings.
The oldest plant in our possession is about a foot and a half high, much branched, the stalks are round and smooth to the naked eye, green below, above purplish, the leaves are smooth, a deep bright green colour, alternate, standing on footstalks, which gradually widen into the leaves, somewhat ovate, and deeply toothed; the flowers grow in the alæ of the leaves, forming a thin spike, they are sessile, of a pale violet colour, and have a peculiar smell which is rather unpleasant; at the side of each flower are two long narrow Bracteæ; the Calyx, which is placed on the germen, is composed of five short ovate leaves, which appear edged with hairs if magnified; the Corolla is monopetalous, the lower part, which at first is tubular, splits longitudinally above, and forms a kind of half tube, the edges of which are brown, the inside yellow, the outside greenish, the mouth beset with short hairs, each of which is terminated by a small villous head; the limb is deeply divided into five linear segments, spreading out like a hand, and terminated by short points; the Filaments are five in number, of a whitish colour, somewhat broadest above, rather flat, inserted into the receptacle; Antheræ oval, flattened, yellow, bilocular, a little bent, the length of the pistillum; but this is to be understood of such flowers as are not yet fully expanded, in those that are, they are much shorter, and appear withered; the Style, in flowers about to open, the length of the filaments, upright, in those that are opened much longer, and bent somewhat downward; Stigma at first upright, in the form of a cup, having the edge curiously fringed with white hairs, afterwards it closes together, loses its hollow, and assumes a flat appearance, and nods somewhat, the back part of it is bearded; Germen beneath the calyx, oblong, usually abortive with us.
The name of Goodenia has been given to this genus by Dr. Smith, in honour of the Rev. Samuel Goodenough, LL. D. of Ealing, my much-honoured friend, whose name will be ever dear to Botanists for his laborious investigation of the British Carices4.
